While American dental education has been around for 150 years, much of the technology modern students expect has been around less than a decade. Until typewriters, mimeograph, and ditto machines came into use, faculty lectured and, perhaps, drew diagrams on chalkboards. Students sat in lecture halls taking notes and copying diagrams. In histology and pathology laboratories, students peered down microscopes and copied viewed images into drawing books. By the 1950s projected Kodachrome slides began to replace chalkboard diagrams and mimeographed handouts sometimes were added. In the 1970s, the addition of dry (Xerox) copying machines and mini tape recorders made it possible for students to record lectures and publish “class notes.” During the 80s, personal computers and word processing software made student class note publication more efficient. More recently, students post published notes on class Web sites. Some students have even attempted photographing lecture illustrations for Web site uploading. Many, if not most, faculty augment their lectures with PowerPoint visuals; some make these “PowerPoint lectures” available to their students. Today, students have the resources to create or assemble their own learning materials. These student-generated activities suggest that contemporary students desire, and are capable of, independent learning. USC’s “problem based” DDS program is a dramatic example of that trend.

Accordingly, in PTHL 312abc learning materials are made available for independent learning. PTHL 312abc is not a standard passive “lecture course.” Students are issued a text-like “reader” and associated “learning guides” and are required to learn from these and additional learning materials assembled in the course Web site. The School of Dentistry and the University have computer terminals in many locations available for use by dental hygiene students. Among these are the Wilson Dental Library, Café 84 Laboratory, and the Leavey Library. Students may also access these materials from personally owned computers in dormitories or at home.

Course Overview

312a -- This course will cover the disease processes that underlie most disorders. The student will have the opportunity to learn the basic biologic processes common to many diseases in preparation for learning details of specific diseases that she/he may need to identify in dental practice. It is a 14 hour, 1 unit course with one examination.

312b --In the second segment, students will learn about diseases that affect the oral cavity. Readings and study of clinical images will be important features of this course. It is a 28-hour, 3 unit course with 2 examinations.

312c --In the final segment, the student will learn how to identify medically complex patients, to evaluate them, and to modify dental therapy to accommodate them. Review of important systemic diseases that may pose a dental treatment risk will consume a significant part of the course. It is a 28-hour, 2 unit course with 2 examinations.

Course Goals

Basic biologic features, microscopic features and clinical features of diseases will be presented as readings and images. The student will learn

• how the clinical appearance of disease depends on biologic and microscopic features.
• how recognition, categorization, and treatment of disease depends upon understanding of principles of biology gained by study at the gross, microscopic, and molecular levels.
• how to recognize radiographic and mucosal lesions. how to classify radiographic and mucosal lesions and how to proceed to arriving at a precise diagnosis of such lesions.
• how to assess a dental patient's overall health status and
• how to modify dental treatment depending on the outcome of the assessment.
• how to identify medically compromised patients through obtaining a health history and conducting appropriate physical and soft tissue examinations.
• how to evaluate the risk a medically compromised patient poses during various dental treatment procedures.
• how dental treatment of medically compromised patients should be modified to provide effective and safe care. the basic features of common systemic diseases, how to identify patients afflicted by them,
• how their dental treatment should be modified to provide effective and safe care.

Learning objectives are included in the learning guides created for each topic. Examinations will be base on those printed objectives.

Learning Materials

All learning materials for PTHL312abc are made available to students. These include a textbook-like reader, learning guides, and Internet Web site(s).

Reading Text

The reading text for the courses is a “reader” developed by Dr. Crawford. Dr. Crawford’s reader will be provided in printed form; however, web and PDF versions have been created as well. The web version contains all relevant images and color versions of many diagrams. The PDF version is virtually the same as the distributed printed version. It may be printed if a replacement of the distributed version is needed. Errors (usually typographical) have crept into the reader; when discovered the corrections are immediately available in the web and PDF versions.

Learning Guides

Workbook-like “learning guides” have been created for each topic. They include the following elements:

• Learning objectives
• Required definitions
• Workbook items

Examinations will be base to large degree on the required definitions the learning objectives, and the workbook responses.

Learning Images

Several hundred images have been assembled for use by students in these courses. These are found in the course Web Site. Some of these images will be included in course examinations.

The web images are organized by diseases and by topics. They may be accessed in two ways:

• "Home Page” --> Course (e.g. “PTHL 312a”) --> Topic (e.g., “History and Scope of Pathology”) --> “Images” --> Image Topic (e.g. “History of Pathology”).
• "Home Page” --> Course (e.g. “PTHL 312a”) --> Topic (e.g., “History and Scope of Pathology”) --> “Reader” --> “View text with imbedded images.”

In addition to the topic-related images, 36 conditions have been assembled into a sub-site entitled “Three-Dozen Conditions Dental Hygienists Should Know.” This sub-site can be accessed from the home page. Clicking on a thumbnail image or disease name, will access descriptions used in PTHL 312b topics. Questions built around the “three-dozen” images will be part of 312b and 312c examinations. While this sub-site serves to reinforce important oral and maxillofacial pathology conditions to current students, it is also available to graduates.

Learning Aids

In addition to the learning guides, two other learning aids are available in the course web site.

• Sample examination questions
• Definition and terms "flash cards"

The sample examination questions include multiple choice, fill-in, image, and short-answer questions with commented correct and (with multiple-choice questions) incorrect answers. The question comments inform why an answer was correct or incorrect.

The definition “flash cards” give students the opportunity to test themselves on the required definitions by viewing a term without its definition and by clicking on the term reveal its definition. Similarly, students can view a list of definitions and click to reveal associated terms.

Web Site

A course Web site is available for PTHL 312abc. The home page can be accessed at "http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/PTHL312abc/". This page can located by entering the above URL in the browser window. Detailed instructions about the use of this site will be given during the first class period.

The Home Page has links to the following sections:

• About the Web Site
• Announcements
• PTHL 312a Schedule
• PTHL 312b Schedule
• PTHL 312c Schedule
• Course Syllabus
• PTHL 312a
• PTHL 312b
• PTHL 312c

About this site

This section contains information about the nature of links and other information about using the course web site.

Course Information

Information about the course—announcements, schedules, this course syllabus, and examination scores—can be accessed through home page links. The announcement section will be the official “bulletin board” for the course. Students need to check with this section often to learn of changes in the schedule, examination times, and other important course information. Changes in schedules and/or examinations will be done in consultation with a designated class representative.

PTHL 312a, 312b, and 312c

These sections contain the web-based course materials. When entering one of the courses, an index page will appear listing the topics required for the course. Clicking on a topic will reveal an index listing links to the course materials described above.

About this site

This section contains information about the nature of links and other information about using the course web site.

Class Sessions

Since students are expected to use the assembled course materials to learn on their own, formal class sessions will be not be held every week but on a scheduled basis (highlighted entries under “Schedules” under “Course Information”). These scheduled sessions will be held in a lecture hall (Room C); orientation and examinations will be held in the Soule Learning Center.

Attendance

Attendance at class sessions is encouraged. Recent experience indicates that virtually all students attend scheduled classes on their own eliminating the need for creating incentives or punishments.

Examinations

Five examinations will be given at five-week intervals throughout the courses. As currently planned (subject to mutually consented change), one examination will cover the material in 312a, two examinations in 312b, and two examinations in 312c. These examinations will be presented on computers in the learning center. These examinations will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. Identification of clinical photographs (images) will be part of all examinations -- these questions will be particularly prominent in PTHL 312b and PTHL 312c.

Examination results (% of correct answers) will be posted in the website (“Home” --> “Exam Scores”). Entrance to the “Exam Scores” section requires a password. Once in the section, a unique number accesses exam scores assigned to each student. This number is a three digit randomly derived number. These numbers will be distributed during the first examination.

Final Course Grade

Examination performance will be the primary basis for the final course grade. The percentage points attained out of the total examination points will determine the final course grade:

Students who achieve at 90% or above will receive an “A.” Those achieving between 80 and 89% will receive a “B.” Those achieving between 70 and 79% will receive a “C.” Those achieving between 60 and 69% may receive a “D.” Those achieving below 60% may receive an “F.” Based on past experience, it is expected that most students will earn grades of “A” and “B.”